Locked PTO connection

Mark T · #1 07/01/10, 01:30 PM

I cannot detach my sickle bar from my tractor. The button you push down to allow the pto to slide past the groove to lock with the tractor will push down all the way, but it does not release the connection. I can't figure out what the heck is going on. Does anyone have suggestions?

It has to be something simple - the button pin is just a round cylinder with a groove so that the pto attachment can pass when the button is depressed. Here's hoping it's something simple so I can go "d'oh!"

MattC · #2 07/01/10, 01:42 PM

Mark, what you are calling the button is the shaft that slides over the groove in the pto shaft thats spring loaded I think. You push the button (end of teh shaft) down and the portion of the shaft now in contact with the pto shaft is ground so it can slide over. Likley the shaft rotated so that when you push it down the unrelieved slide is still caught in the groove. Grad teh end with pliers and rotate and try again

tinknal · #3 07/01/10, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattC

Mark, what you are calling the button is the shaft that slides over the groove in the pto shaft thats spring loaded I think. You push the button (end of teh shaft) down and the portion of the shaft now in contact with the pto shaft is ground so it can slide over. Likley the shaft rotated so that when you push it down the unrelieved slide is still caught in the groove. Grad teh end with pliers and rotate and try again

That would be my guess also, either that or you are not pushing the pin far enough in.

rambler · #4 07/01/10, 02:08 PM

You are saying the little rod - the thumb lock - is moving, so the pto should be releasing from the tractor.

However, you are not able to slide the pto off of the treactor shaft.

If so, they can kinda rust themselves together. Some stuff if the tractor has a pto brake & the implement is a biggie they have tension on them - but ptrobably not the case for a simple sickle mower.

Anyhow, get a bit of a block of wood, or a hammer, hold the thumb lock in the open position, and tap on the pto. Not big whacks, but tap. See if you can get it to slip off.

I've also used a crowbar to get it to slide off - you got to hold the thumb button of course until it does move some.

If I don't understand the problem right, then never mind.

One of my tractors has a very tight pto shaft, everything sticks to it. My sprayers, with the water & I suppose a bit of chemical gets on them, they like to rust up & not want to come loose. A bit of grease on the tractor shaft before using it does help a lot in those cases. The tractor with the tight shaft I just keep a crowbar in the cab, it happens so often to 'rust' on....

Don't know if I helped, but come back with more info & see where we can get.

--->Paul

Mark T · #5 07/01/10, 04:34 PM

I went back to the field and tried to move the pin, but couldn't. But then I noticed that the pin had a metal collar holding it so it couldn't slide out, so I pulled off the collar and took out the pin. The pin had a groove all the way around it, so it wasn't a rotation issue keeping it in. Even with the pin entirely out, I still could not pull the pto away from the takeoff on the tractor. I tried the hammer and a crowbar. I can't understand what it holding it in place. I tried to see if the weight of the sickle bar would helkp pull it out and eased the tractor forward. This pulled the end knuckle out of the sleeve, so now I only have the front half of the pto shaft attached to the tractor.

Any other suggestions?

Harry Chickpea · #6 07/01/10, 05:08 PM

Penetrating oil, ten minutes, and a hammer on the knuckle in the direction opposite of rotation? Since the pin is out, you might also get out in the open and rope the knuckle to a tree and put 'er in granny gear ***being VERY sure to have the rope tied high UP in the tree so that if it has to pull hard it will lift the rear wheels off the ground and not do a wheelie on you***. Other than that, the next thought would be heating the PTO takeoff with a torch for a couple of minutes to try to increase the diameter a little.

wwubben · #7 07/01/10, 06:18 PM

Rotate the open hole where the pin was in to the top position and fill it with oil.Go up to the house and spend the night.Go out in the morning with a four pound hammer and a block of wood.Give it a few good whacks.These things can be stuborn.

haypoint · #8 07/01/10, 09:00 PM

Get trhe mower out of the way.
Unhook the mower and pull ahead, the PTO shaft will slide apart. I've had the splines stick together. With the mower out of the way, rock the PTO shaft fack and forth.

Be careful. You may need to hammer and pry on the U joint and it is easy to damage the yoke.
My 12 foot wide, 5,000 pound rototiller was hard on those thumb buttons. The PTO wouldn't slide into itself when the 'tiller was under full load. That would push the thumb button against the tractor's PTO groove, bending the thumb button shaft. Had to put a hard bolt through that part, replacing the thumb button and spring.
I'd say the tractor's PTO and the mower's PTO shaft have made a burr that is holding it up.

RosewoodfarmVA · #9 07/02/10, 07:56 AM

I would suggest setting the mower on the ground or pallets, then detaching the 3pt hitch and pull the tractor up a few inches. My guess is that the shaft is at its shortest length, meaning that the mower is too close to the tractor and the pto shaft has slid all the way in. That's why you can't slide it off. Also, I make it a practice when I'm greasing equipment to take my finger and put a little grease on the pto shaft end and work some grease into the button/spring balls that get rusted. They should move freely, if not they need grease. Another thing is that if the mower sits out, you need to pull the tractor end of the shaft off the other end then wipe down the "male" part of the shaft with grease so that it will slide easily. Trying to attach or remove a shaft when the sliding part is rusty is a hard thing to do.

Hank · #10 07/02/10, 08:10 AM

Spray with PB Blaster, let sit for 30 min. Slides right off for me every time.

Hank

http://www.doublemfarmandchuckwagon.webs.com

texican · #11 07/02/10, 10:49 AM

This is why I love this site... got a problem, someone else has already experienced, and banged their heads and thumbs till they figured it out.

I have a tight pto shaft also, and my SOP is to disconnect the implement from the 3 point, pull away, separating the pto shaft, removing it (the pto hookup) from the tractor and reinserting it on the implement's other end of the pto shaft, putting a splotch of grease on it to facilitate removing it next time.

Lubricants are your friend!!!

Windy in Kansas · #12 07/02/10, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

Get trhe mower out of the way. Unhook the mower and pull ahead, the PTO shaft will slide apart.

Just make darned sure you align the u-joints in the correct way when you put the shaft back together. With the shape of some shafts that is assured for you, with others you will have to do it.

watcher · #13 07/02/10, 12:05 PM

One other thing. Sometimes you just can't press the 'button' down enough by hand. Get a nut smaller than the 'button' and a C clamp. Put the nut on top of the button and use the C clamp to push it down. After start trying to slide the shaft of just after the bottom of the nut is below the level of the U joint. If it doesn't come off SLOWLY crank the clamp and try again. If it hasn't worked lose by the time you have 1/2 to 3/4 of the nut down its time to stop.